Qatari diplomat was on his way to see al-Marri . . .

when he got in trouble on a flight that was headed to Denver. Yep, the diplomat, part of the Gulf State’s consulate here in the United States, was headed to Denver and then likely to Florence, Colo. to see Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, who was sentenced last fall to eight years in prison for volunteering to do a mission for al Qaida. From the AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Qatari diplomat was on his way to an official visit with an imprisoned al-Qaida sleeper agent when he touched off a bomb scare by slipping into an airline bathroom for a smoke, officials said Thursday as the diplomat prepared to leave the U.S.

The diplomat, Mohammed Al-Madadi, was going to pay a consular visit to the prisoner, said Alison Bradley, a public relations executive hired to speak for the Qatari Embassy, and a State Department official.

The prisoner, Ali Al-Marri, a citizen of Qatar, is serving eight years after pleading guilty last year to conspiring to support terrorism. Al-Marri was arrested after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, accused of being a sleeper agent researching poisonous gasses and plotting a cyberattack.

Consular officials frequently visit foreigners held in the United States to make sure they are being treated well.

Bradley said Qatari diplomats have made multiple visits to Al-Marri in prison since he pleaded guilty. The right to such visits is guaranteed by international agreements, and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons had approved this visit by Al-Madadi in advance, Bradley added.

There’s more and of course, the real question has to be asked. What the hell was he thinking? He knew better than to smoke on a plane or mouth off to people. Was he having a bad day or was this a nic fit? Either way, wasn’t the best use of judgment, let’s just say. The diplomat has immunity so he wouldn’t get charged but he’ll probably be sent home. Such is normal when you screw up royally.

Author: Andy Kravetz

Andy Kravetz has spent most of the past 16 years covering the area's legal system as well as the military. in that time, he's crawled in the mud, flown in transport planes, and written about a man prosecuted for terrorism. This blog will reflect all those interests and then some.
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